Open access for books and chapters

The book or chapter is published for sale in hard copy and/or electronic format.

The author deposits a copy of the final peer-reviewed accepted manuscript in their institutional or appropriate subject repository to be made open access after an embargo period allowed by their funder. The AM must be made available under a licence that permits sharing and reuse. Requirements vary between funders and it is recommended that you check your funder policy to ensure compliance.

Discuss your open access requirements with the publisher at the time you submit a book proposal. Some publishers have listed their self-archiving policy on the Sherpa database.

The University of Aberdeen Research Publications Policy was extended to cover longform publications from 1st November 2024.

• The author publishes the book or chapter as immediate open access.
• A book or chapter processing charge is paid to the publisher.
• Some funders will provide funds for open access. Unfunded authors should take the Green or Diamond route to open access.
• The author selects a Creative Commons licence to set out how the output can be shared and reused.
• The version of record is made available to anyone on the publisher website on publication. Copyright remains with the author.
• Contact the Open Research Team for advice on available funds for open access.

Diamond Open Access removes author charges. Funding from alternative sources supports the publication costs.

• The author publishes with a publisher that provides immediate open access.
• There is no book or chapter processing charge.
• The author selects a Creative Commons licence to set out how the output can be shared and reused.
• The version of record of the article is made available to anyone on the publisher website on publication. Copyright remains with the author

Some not-for-profit publishers, typically society or University owned presses, will charge a fee to cover publication costs where funder open access funds are available.

Funded Research

Funders such as UKRI, Wellcome Trust, etc., require longform research outputs to be made open access after a specified time from publication under a licence that permits sharing and reuse.

It is researchers' responsibility to ensure compliance. Visit our webpage 'Funder open access policies' to find information, links and tools that will help you.

Gold or diamond open access that allows immediate open access under a Creative Commons or other open licence permitted by your funder meets funder requirements. Funds may be available from your funder to pay for open access, please contact the Open Research team for advice.

Green open access may require that you discuss your funder open access requirement at submission to ensure that you can deposit the accepted manuscript in a repository that meets your funder requirements.

Definitions for the above terms can be found on our  glossary of open research key terms.

Non-funded research & REF

There is no open access mandate for longform outputs in REF2029. However, open access for longform outputs is encouraged where possible. There will be a requirement for longform open access for future REF exercises after 2029.

There are no central institutional funds available to cover longform open access costs.

Please contact openresearch@abdn.ac.uk if you have any queries about open access and compliance with funder policies.

The University of Aberdeen Research Publications Policy will be extended to cover longform publications from 1st November 2024.

The author(s) will grant the University the right to deposit the accepted manuscript in the institutional or a subject repository within 12 months of publication, or sooner, if required.

Before entering into a contract with a publisher for your longform publication discuss open access with them, making sure that you can meet your funder open access requirements.

Inform co-authors about your funder requirements to share the accepted manuscript upon publication with an appropriate Creative Commons licence.  Make sure the open access requirements are agreed as early as possible.

If for any reason, one of the co-authors raises this as an issue, please contact the Open Research Team  

Funds may be available from your funder to publish open access.

• UKRI have made a fund available to support open access for longform outputs, the Open Research Team will advise on how to apply.
• Wellcome ask that you apply to them directly.
• European Commission grants may include funds for open access.
• Other funders vary, check the terms and conditions of your grant if you are not sure.
• We have information on some of the big funders on our webpages .

There are no central funds available for open access. If you proceed and place an order without confirmation that funds are available, then you may be held liable for costs. 

When your output is published, please send notification and a copy of the Accepted Manuscript (AM) to the Open Research Team . Our staff will ensure the AM is deposited in Pure/AURA under the embargo agreed with your publisher.

Current practice in academic publishing requires corresponding authors to sign over their rights to publishers. This means that the author cannot share or reuse their work without permission from the publisher. Meanwhile the publisher retains an exclusive right to publish and sub-licence the rights to the work as they see fit.  

The policy supports authors in retaining their rights to the peer-reviewed manuscript allowing open access and re-use under an open licence. The Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence is encouraged, however other open licences as permitted by funders may also be used.

The open access policy enables authors to submit their work to the publisher of their choice, while remaining compliant with funder open access policies.

The policy will apply to longform publications where a funder mandate is in place and a contract is signed after 1st November 2024.

When publishing a long form output you should discuss your open access requirements with the publisher at the time you submit your proposal to ensure that the publisher agrees that the AM can be deposited in the institutional and any other repository as required.

We already encourage this approach to enable compliance with the UKRI Open Access policy.

Co-authors should be informed about the requirement to share the AM upon publication with a Creative Commons license. If issues are raised, it is possible to opt out. 

The AM is deposited in Pure/AURA under the CC BY Creative Commons licence or other licence that meets funder requirements. 

The policy aligns with the University's 2040 strategy of being 'open to all' and our position on open research. 

Your research reaches the widest possible audience without restrictions such as publisher embargoes or paywalls.  

You retain the rights to your own work, ensuring that you can disseminate your peer-reviewed accepted manuscript in any way you choose, without publisher restrictions.  

You are enabled to submit your work to the publisher of your choice, while remaining compliant with funder and future Research Excellence Framework (REF) open access policies.  

Creative Commons licences allow the author to retain copyright whilst allowing others to copy, distribute and reuse the work under the terms of the individual licence. Many funders, including UKRI, now mandate their use.  

CC BY allows any reuse, as long as the creator is attributed.  

CC BY-NC prohibits commercial reuse.

CC BY-ND prohibits any derivative works being produced.

The Library Open Research Team can provide support and advice on licences, and  guidance is available on the Open Research webpages .  

The University of Aberdeen encourages the use of the CC BY licence, however you may use another CC licence is required. Where there is a funder requirement for a specific licence, the author is expected to abide by this to ensure compliance. 

For outputs with third party copyright material, please clearly indicate within the manuscript the terms under which the material is released, and state that the CC BY licence is not applicable to this material. 

UKRI have published a Guide to Managing Third Party Copyright for Researchers.

The only legal risk relates to any inadvertent signing of a publisher copyright transfer agreement that contradicts the University of Aberdeen's prior retention of non-exclusive rights. 

The University of Aberdeen has sought legal advice on this and is confident that the risk in relation to this policy is low, as long as it follows the guidance that has been provided by the legal team. Wherever possible, any risk in relation to this policy will be borne by the University of Aberdeen and not by the individual researcher.

Check if your funder has an open access policy that you must comply with. If your funder is not  included on our webpage , check your grant terms and conditions. Contact the Open Research Team if you are unsure. 

The REF open access policy is currently under review. You must follow the REF2021 open access policy until further notice.

REF2029 will not include a requirement for longform publications to be made open access. However, open access is encouraged where possible. Future REF excercises after REF2029 will have an open access requirement for longform.

Explain your requirements to your co-authors and  the benefits of making research open access . It is possible they will have similar requirements from their own institutions and funders. 

If any co-author objects to use of the RRS and cannot be convinced contact the Open Research Team .

If you have signed a contract that predates your funder open access policy then an exemption will apply. Open access is still encouraged wherever possible and you should discuss with your publisher. Check your funder open access policy for dates. You will find information on some of the biggest funders on our webpages . If your funder is not listed here check the terms and conditions of your research grant.

Check your funder open access policy to check which output types are required to be open access.

You will find information on some of the biggest funders on our webpages . If your funder is not listed here check the terms and conditions of your research grant.

Open Access means that books and chapters will be published online. However most publishers will offer a print-on-demand option of some form. This may require payment of a small fee to cover the costs of printing.

Only long form outputs required to be open access by a funder mandate are required to be open access. If required, you may apply for an exemption from your funder. Discuss exemptions with the Library Open Research Team who will advise on funder requirements and available options.

If in doubt about the terms and conditions of your grant please contact the  Research Policy and Strategy Team in Research and Innovation. It is important to be clear on this at the very outset, to plan accordingly. 

The Library Open Research team will provide support for all aspects of this policy. Where there is a need for advice on the specific terms and conditions associated with a research grant, the  Research Policy and Strategy Team in Research and Innovation will be able to advise.